It is difficult for me to pick out one event from last school year. But I can say that after a 10-year absence from teaching I am energized. I receive most of my energy from the students. They would search the building for me so I could help them; and, finding me wasn’t always an easy task because I didn’t have a classroom. I might be found in the science lab, the English room, the math room, or my favorite place the library. I became a mediator for a lot of the students to help them understand the requirements of their classes, their assignments, and the idiosyncrasies’ of their instructors. As a special educator I have developed a broad base of knowledge in several subject areas; and, now that I can access the Internet I can help even more.
Sara's Highpoint
This year was our first year as a Google school. I began the year excited, but it took almost 1/2 the year before I was able to get all the tech in place in the "back room" in order to be able to utilize many aspects of Google successfully with my students. The greatest part of using Google Docs with my students this year didn't even happen until April vacation when I showed my students how to create the various types of items (Docs, Presentations, Drawings, Spreadsheets) and then how to share them. I encouraged all students who had access to the internet at home to create their book reports in Google Docs, and 13 of my 21 students actually did it! I was able to comment on their work while I was on vacation in Florida, and most of my work was already done by the time the students passed in the final product. I was able to create and share a rubric with my students, so they knew exactly what I would be grading them on. There was still a non-online component of the project, but I think there needs to be a balance between the on and offline components of education anyway. The students were thrilled to have me comment on their work as they shared their documents with me, and I felt really good about how they embraced the technology and how much they appreciated the comments and how hard they worked on their writing!
Sara's Final Presentation:
Joan's Highpoint This year, salamander season started off on the fast track as wood frogs began fervently singing their quack-like chorus on the advent of spring—March 20. This was the earliest sighting of wood frogs at BEEC on record, ever. School groups typically schedule their class trips to visit the vernal pool in April or May. Fortunately, on March 21, Pat Branley’s first- and second- grade students from NewBrook Elementary School were the beneficiary of this unexpected vernal choir. They came as a part of their study of animal life cycles, expecting to learn about the winter strategies of white-tailed deer. Instead, they were beckoned to a small woodland pond to witness the amphibious rite of spring. We followed the sound of the wood frog chorus through the courtyard, across the street, and up into the woods. Once within viewing distance of the choral group, the song descended into silence. The magic of the moment was captured as all nineteen six- and seven-year-olds followed suit, squatting at the water’s edge and joining the hush. Seconds turned to minutes, then, as if choreographed and rehearsed to perfection, one quack led to two, which led to five, and soon we were enveloped in the raucous world of beckoning male wood frogs once again. Students squatted low and made eye contact with their new found amphibious friends. Spencer asked, “I wonder if that frog is looking up at all of us wondering about us and what we are doing here?” Back at school, he wrote, “I am a wood frog. I see creatures I have never seen before. I stare at them. They stand on two legs. They are tall. They are loud and there are many.” Another student questioned if some of the frogs were making the noise from under the water, noting “Once one frog started talking they all started talking.” Many students were able to describe, in detail, the bandit-like black mask marking of the wood frog. Pat and her class came to BEEC that day intending to discover the secret homes and signs of animals in wintertime—instead they abandoned their well-laid plans to answer the call of the wild. And in doing so, they reaped the great rewards of spontaneity. Click here to see a short video of the moment.
Robin's Highpoint Although I struggle to choose just one highest point from the year, graduation is a wonderful event at BUHS. The ceremony gives all attendees a moment to stop and honor these students who met the graduation requirements. For some of the students I know best, it has been a long slog with an intense scramble to the end. This can make the final steps particularly joyous. For these soon-to-be graduates, it is a time when they are equal, equally deserving of their solo walk before the crowd.
In the days leading up to the big day, eyes are on the weather reports resulting in much speculation about whether the ceremony will be inside or outside. Inside means the gym without benefit of air conditioning and without sufficient space to accommodate all who would like to attend. Outside, where we happily celebrated this year, means the football field with lots of space for all and the backdrop of our serene hillsides in the setting sun. As the hot sun drops, the air cools giving new energy to participants in their hot gowns whose cheers and antics balloon in anticipation of the moment when they are pronounced to be bona fide graduates. Caps fly into the air, the decorum of the march in dissolves into a sweet, flowing chaos, and happy shouts offer congratulations and hints about where friends and family members were last seen.
It's a wonderful way to end the school year.
Beneth's Highpoint
Block I, Spring semester, was the academic equivalent of rush hour, without the commuters: incredibly busy, but destination clear. I have never worked as hard as I did in and for that class---for that class, because they totally won my heart and made me want to get them home. There were thirteen of them, all young women (the one boy dropped the class after one day, which was probably a laudable act of self-preservation), and all were amazing writers. Each one had a voice so singular---L., who wrote each essay as if it were a poem; K., whose writing demonstrated her unerring bologna-detector; M., whose brother died at the very beginning of the semester, and who wrote the most heartbreakingly beautiful personal essay I have ever read. The other ten were no less remarkable, but I am writing this inbetween dinner and bath-time for my toddler, so clarity is in short supply here tonight. I have to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief when I finished their portfolios (half an hour before graduation!), but I know that class-experience, for me, will never be surpassed, bumper-to-bumper traffic and all.
Katherine's Highpoint
The high point of my year last year was using what I learned in Online Collaborative tools in the classroom. I had the students use specific research websites to create a Powerpoint or Google Presentation each on a different country in South America. We had a lot of challenges with the technology at our school. But Google Apps was really a lifesaver for many of my students, because sometimes our server wouldn't upload. We worked through them students were able to upload, edit, and share their presentations.
Joan's jing
http://screencast.com/t/7gaLbxhwJQe
Robbe's Highpoint
It is difficult for me to pick out one event from last school year. But I can say that after a 10-year absence from teaching I am energized. I receive most of my energy from the students. They would search the building for me so I could help them; and, finding me wasn’t always an easy task because I didn’t have a classroom. I might be found in the science lab, the English room, the math room, or my favorite place the library. I became a mediator for a lot of the students to help them understand the requirements of their classes, their assignments, and the idiosyncrasies’ of their instructors. As a special educator I have developed a broad base of knowledge in several subject areas; and, now that I can access the Internet I can help even more.
Sara's Highpoint
This year was our first year as a Google school. I began the year excited, but it took almost 1/2 the year before I was able to get all the tech in place in the "back room" in order to be able to utilize many aspects of Google successfully with my students. The greatest part of using Google Docs with my students this year didn't even happen until April vacation when I showed my students how to create the various types of items (Docs, Presentations, Drawings, Spreadsheets) and then how to share them. I encouraged all students who had access to the internet at home to create their book reports in Google Docs, and 13 of my 21 students actually did it! I was able to comment on their work while I was on vacation in Florida, and most of my work was already done by the time the students passed in the final product. I was able to create and share a rubric with my students, so they knew exactly what I would be grading them on. There was still a non-online component of the project, but I think there needs to be a balance between the on and offline components of education anyway. The students were thrilled to have me comment on their work as they shared their documents with me, and I felt really good about how they embraced the technology and how much they appreciated the comments and how hard they worked on their writing!
Sara's Final Presentation:
Joan's Highpoint
This year, salamander season started off on the fast track as wood frogs began fervently singing their quack-like chorus on the advent of spring—March 20. This was the earliest sighting of wood frogs at BEEC on record, ever. School groups typically schedule their class trips to visit the vernal pool in April or May. Fortunately, on March 21, Pat Branley’s first- and second- grade students from NewBrook Elementary School were the beneficiary of this unexpected vernal choir. They came as a part of their study of animal life cycles, expecting to learn about the winter strategies of white-tailed deer. Instead, they were beckoned to a small woodland pond to witness the amphibious rite of spring.
We followed the sound of the wood frog chorus through the courtyard, across the street, and up into the woods. Once within viewing distance of the choral group, the song descended into silence. The magic of the moment was captured as all nineteen six- and seven-year-olds followed suit, squatting at the water’s edge and joining the hush. Seconds turned to minutes, then, as if choreographed and rehearsed to perfection, one quack led to two, which led to five, and soon we were enveloped in the raucous world of beckoning male wood frogs once again. Students squatted low and made eye contact with their new found amphibious friends.
Spencer asked, “I wonder if that frog is looking up at all of us wondering about us and what we are doing here?” Back at school, he wrote, “I am a wood frog. I see creatures I have never seen before. I stare at them. They stand on two legs. They are tall. They are loud and there are many.” Another student questioned if some of the frogs were making the noise from under the water, noting “Once one frog started talking they all started talking.” Many students were able to describe, in detail, the bandit-like black mask marking of the wood frog.
Pat and her class came to BEEC that day intending to discover the secret homes and signs of animals in wintertime—instead they abandoned their well-laid plans to answer the call of the wild. And in doing so, they reaped the great rewards of spontaneity. Click here to see a short video of the moment.
Robin's Highpoint
Although I struggle to choose just one highest point from the year, graduation is a wonderful event at BUHS. The ceremony gives all attendees a moment to stop and honor these students who met the graduation requirements. For some of the students I know best, it has been a long slog with an intense scramble to the end. This can make the final steps particularly joyous. For these soon-to-be graduates, it is a time when they are equal, equally deserving of their solo walk before the crowd.
In the days leading up to the big day, eyes are on the weather reports resulting in much speculation about whether the ceremony will be inside or outside. Inside means the gym without benefit of air conditioning and without sufficient space to accommodate all who would like to attend. Outside, where we happily celebrated this year, means the football field with lots of space for all and the backdrop of our serene hillsides in the setting sun. As the hot sun drops, the air cools giving new energy to participants in their hot gowns whose cheers and antics balloon in anticipation of the moment when they are pronounced to be bona fide graduates. Caps fly into the air, the decorum of the march in dissolves into a sweet, flowing chaos, and happy shouts offer congratulations and hints about where friends and family members were last seen.
It's a wonderful way to end the school year.
Beneth's Highpoint
Block I, Spring semester, was the academic equivalent of rush hour, without the commuters: incredibly busy, but destination clear. I have never worked as hard as I did in and for that class---for that class, because they totally won my heart and made me want to get them home. There were thirteen of them, all young women (the one boy dropped the class after one day, which was probably a laudable act of self-preservation), and all were amazing writers. Each one had a voice so singular---L., who wrote each essay as if it were a poem; K., whose writing demonstrated her unerring bologna-detector; M., whose brother died at the very beginning of the semester, and who wrote the most heartbreakingly beautiful personal essay I have ever read. The other ten were no less remarkable, but I am writing this inbetween dinner and bath-time for my toddler, so clarity is in short supply here tonight. I have to admit that I breathed a sigh of relief when I finished their portfolios (half an hour before graduation!), but I know that class-experience, for me, will never be surpassed, bumper-to-bumper traffic and all.
Katherine's Highpoint
The high point of my year last year was using what I learned in Online Collaborative tools in the classroom. I had the students use specific research websites to create a Powerpoint or Google Presentation each on a different country in South America. We had a lot of challenges with the technology at our school. But Google Apps was really a lifesaver for many of my students, because sometimes our server wouldn't upload. We worked through them students were able to upload, edit, and share their presentations.